The helicopter will use infrared technology as it flies over the area near the Mid-Michigan Beagle Club, 11081 Onondaga Road in Tompkins Township, where Charles Gehringer, 62, is believed to have been last.

Officials are still working to determine how Gehringer might have gone missing. He has a form of diabetes that might have led to a medical condition and possibly contributed to his disappearance, said 1st Lt. Michael Krumm, commander of the Michigan State Police Jackson post.

The state police and mounted units from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office searched the area throughout the day Wednesday, aided by police dogs and a private volunteer search and rescue group, K-9 One.

A helicopter also flew over the area earlier Wednesday afternoon, Krumm said. About 40 to 50 people were involved with the search throughout the day Wednesday, he said.

Officials plan to "exhaust every effort" in their search, Krumm said.

"Right now, we're just focused on finding this man," he said.

About 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Gehringer left the area near the club with his two beagles for a training exercise. One of the dogs returned about 8:30 p.m., and another dog was later found during a night search by state police.

Trained search crews were still combing the area Wednesday evening, going through select areas with grid-pattern search methods, Krumm said.

Officers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources also traversed the Grand River in kayaks earlier in the day, looking for Gehringer.

Gehringer has been training dogs for more than 20 years, and has
been coming to the club for several years, his family told police.

Krumm said the search will break for the night once the helicopter finishes its rounds. It will resume again in the morning, he said.